Psalm 3:4 (ESV) -- I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill.

Every parent can discern their child’s cry, even in a room full of people. It’s uncanny how universal this is. Children can be running around screaming, laughing, and having a good time, and the sound of a child crying immediately tunes parents' ears to discern if it is their child. I’ve heard my children crying when others didn’t even know a child was crying. And I’ve been with parents who have done the same. The reason their cry alerts our ears is because they are our child.

Our passage today reminds us that God hears our cries in the same way. The psalmist says, “I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me from his holy hill.” The psalmist “cried aloud.” This kind of praying is a desperate plea for the LORD’s help. To cry aloud implies earnestness and urgency. 

It is okay for us to cry aloud to the LORD. Many act too dignified for such prayer, but this is the posture of one who knows they need God’s help. The truth is: we should all be crying aloud to Him. 

The psalmist informs us that his cries were not in vain. The LORD heard his cry, and answered him from His holy hill. The LORD is enthroned in glory. He rules over the earth and every creature in it. But He hears the cries of His children. He discerns our voice over all the noise. The activity and endless noise of the universe doesn’t keep Him from bending His ear to our needs. This is a fascinating thought, and should provoke us to prayer.

What needs do you have today that you should cry aloud to the LORD to meet? Do you make any time for crying out to God? Don’t be too dignified for this kind of desperate prayer. The LORD delights in hearing from us, and He is willing to answer our prayers when we come to Him. Jesus has given us access. His atonement for our sins makes our prayers acceptable before God. Cry out!

Reflection & Journal:
- What does “cry aloud” imply about the posture of this prayer?
- Why do we rarely see Christians pray like this?
- How can we grow in our urgency in prayer? What things do you need to cry aloud for today?

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